Chapter 5: Caught in the Act

“Oh my God,” I said, only this time it was with shame and not the heady enjoyment I’d felt seconds ago. I scrambled backward, snaking my arms across my chest to cover my bare breasts. My heart was hammering so loud, I couldn’t hear anything except that terrible voice.

“Shit!” Adrian spat, running a hand through his hair as he stepped away from me, his jaw tightening.

“What. The. Fuck?” Damian’s voice lashed through the air like a whip, his shoulders tense as he glared at his father.

The room felt impossibly small. My mind flooded with a hundred questions, all colliding and scrambling for attention. What is Damian doing here? How had we not heard him come in? And Dad?

I shot a glance at Adrian, my mind spinning. He didn’t look old enough to have a son Damian’s age.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded, my voice shaky and desperate.

Damian’s glare shifted to me, the fury in his eyes almost blistering. “What am I doing here? I came to talk to my girl.” He took a step closer, his words dripping with venom. “I didn’t realize I’d find my dad fucking her on the couch.”

The air left my lungs in one sharp gasp. “Damian, we’re not—”

“You’re not a couple anymore,” Adrian interrupted smoothly. He tilted his head, his gaze flicking to Damian. “So, she’s that Elle. Your ex. You broke up with her months ago, if I remember correctly.”

Damian’s nostrils flared, his fists clenching at his sides. “That doesn’t give you the right to touch her, you piece of shit!”

I snapped back into the moment, every ounce of humiliation twisting into something sharper, darker. The audacity of Damian—coming here, barging in like he still had some claim on me, after all the ways he’d humiliated me. I shot to my feet, grabbing Adrian’s shirt from the floor and slipping it over myself.

“Actually,” I said, my voice louder than it should’ve been, “Adrian and I are together.”

The words tumbled out before I could stop them.

Adrian’s head whipped toward me, his brows furrowing in surprise.

“We are?” he asked, his voice low enough that only I could hear.

I nodded sharply, clutching the edges of his shirt like a shield. “Yes.”

Damian’s laugh was bitter, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Him? My father?” He pointed a finger at me, his voice rising. “You’re fucking my dad to get back at me? That’s low, even for you.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” I snapped, stepping closer to Adrian, pressing against his side. Adrian stiffened for a moment, then relaxed, sliding an arm around my waist, playing along.

“Yeah?” Damian’s eyes burned as they locked on mine. “You’re nothing but a goddamn harlot, Elle. First me, now him. What’s next, the janitor? Or are you saving him for tomorrow?”

My jaw dropped, but before I could respond, Adrian stepped forward, his arm falling from my waist as he put himself between me and Damian.

“Watch your mouth,” Adrian said.

Damian scoffed. “Oh, don’t act like you’re any better. You’re the same as her. A goddamn slut. This is exactly why you and Mom didn’t work out. You couldn’t keep it in your pants then, and clearly, nothing’s changed now.”

Adrian’s jaw ticked, his shoulders tightening. “Be very careful about what you say next, Damian.”

“Why? You going to hit me?” Damian sneered. “Go ahead. Prove to everyone what a shitty excuse for a father you’ve always been.”

“I don’t need to prove anything to you,” Adrian said, his voice. He took another step forward, forcing Damian to tilt his head back to meet his gaze. “You don’t get to come in here, throw a tantrum, and insult the people in my life because you’re too much of a child to deal with your own mistakes.”

Damian’s face turned red, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white. “She’s my ex! You can’t just—”

“You broke up with her,” Adrian cut him off, his voice sharp. “She’s not yours. Not anymore. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner we can all move on.”

Damian glared at him, then at me, his fury bubbling over. “This is disgusting. If you think you’re going to parade her around at dinner tonight with Mom, you’ve lost your fucking mind.”

Adrian smirked, tilting his head. “Oh, I hadn’t planned on it. But now that you’ve suggested it, I think I might.”

Damian’s nostrils flared, his teeth gritting so hard I thought they might shatter. “You bring her tonight, and you’ll regret it.”

“Is that a threat?” Adrian asked, raising a brow.

Damian didn’t answer. He shot me one last venomous glare before turning and storming out, slamming the door behind him.

The silence that followed was deafening.

I turned to Adrian, my heart still pounding. “That… was intense.”

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’ve got a knack for drama, Elle. I’ll give you that.”

“Me?!” I stared at him, incredulous. “You just told him you’d bring me to dinner!”

Adrian’s lips quirked into a grin. “I couldn’t help myself.”

My jaw dropped, but before I could respond, he stepped closer, his hand brushing against my arm.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ve got this.”

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh, scream, or kiss him again.

"Thanks for playing along,"

Adrian chuckled. "My pleasure," he said. "But I have to say, I'm a little curious. What's the real story between you and my son?"